Advanced Exploratory Testing
When exploring software or investigating quality risks:
CREATE charter with mission, scope, and time-box (45-90 min)
APPLY heuristics: SFDIPOT (quality criteria), FEW HICCUPPS (consistency oracles)
EXPLORE systematically using test tours (Business District, Bad Neighborhood, Historical)
DOCUMENT findings in real-time with notes, screenshots, evidence
DEBRIEF: What learned? What's next? Share via agent memory
Quick Heuristic Selection:
What to test → SFDIPOT (Structure, Function, Data, Interfaces, Platform, Operations, Time)
Recognize problems → FEW HICCUPPS (Familiar, Explainable, World, History, Image, Comparable, Claims, Users, Product, Purpose, Standards)
Navigate app → Test Tours (12 types for different exploration strategies)
Critical Success Factors:
Exploration is skilled, structured thinking - not random clicking
Document discoveries, not pre-planned test cases
Pair testing reveals more than solo exploration
Quick Reference Card
When to Use
Investigating new or changed features
Finding bugs automation misses
Learning unfamiliar systems
Risk discovery before test planning
Session Structure (SBTM)
Phase
Duration
Activity
Charter
5 min
Define mission, scope, focus
Explore
45-75 min
Systematic investigation
Note
Continuous
Document findings real-time
Debrief
10-15 min
Summarize, prioritize, share
SFDIPOT Heuristic (What to Test)
Letter
Focus
Example Questions
S
tructure
Is it properly composed?
Code structure, UI layout, data schema
F
unction
Does it do what it should?
Core features work correctly
D
ata
Handles data correctly?
CRUD, validation, persistence
I
nterfaces
Interacts well?
APIs, UI, integrations
P
latform
Works in environment?
Browsers, OS, devices
O
perations
Can be used/managed?
Install, config, monitor
T
ime
Handles timing?
Concurrency, timeouts, scheduling
FEW HICCUPPS Oracle (Recognize Problems)
Consistency With
Check
F
amiliar problems
Does this look like a known bug pattern?
E
xplainable
Can behavior be explained rationally?
W
orld
Matches real-world expectations?
H
istory
Consistent with prior versions?
I
mage
Matches brand/product image?
C
omparable
Similar to competing products?
C
laims
Matches specs/docs/marketing?
U
sers
Meets user expectations?
P
urpose
Fulfills intended purpose?
S
tatements
Matches what devs said?
Test Tours (12 Types)
Tour
Strategy
Business District
Critical business flows
Historical
Where bugs clustered before
Bad Neighborhood
Known problem areas
Money
Revenue-impacting features
Landmark
Navigate by key features
Intellectual
Complex, thinking-intensive features
FedEx
Follow data through system
Garbage Collector
Cleanup and edge cases
Museum
Help docs and examples
Rained-Out
What happens when things fail?
Couch Potato
Minimal effort paths
Obsessive-Compulsive
Repetitive actions
Session Note Template
**
Charter:
**
Explore [area] to discover [what] focusing on [heuristic]
**
Time-box:
**
60 min |
**
Tester:
**
[name] |
**
Date:
**
[date]
Session Notes
[timestamp] Observation/finding
[timestamp] Bug: [description] - [severity]
[timestamp] Question: [unclear behavior]
Findings Summary
Bugs: X (Critical: Y, Major: Z)
Questions: X
Ideas: X
Coverage
Areas explored: [list]
Heuristics used: [SFDIPOT areas]
% Time on: Bug investigation 30%, Exploration 50%, Setup 20%
Next Steps
[ ] Deep dive on [area]
[ ] Follow up on question about [topic]
Agent-Assisted Exploration
// Collaborative exploration session
await
Task
(
"Exploratory Session"
,
{
charter
:
'Explore checkout flow for payment edge cases'
,
duration
:
'60min'
,
heuristics
:
[
'SFDIPOT'
,
'FEW_HICCUPPS'
]
,
tour
:
'money'
,
collaboration
:
'human-navigator-agent-driver'
}
,
"qe-flaky-test-hunter"
)
;
// Agent generates test variations while human observes
await
Task
(
"Edge Case Generation"
,
{
area
:
'payment-form'
,
variations
:
[
'boundary-values'
,
'invalid-inputs'
,
'concurrent-submits'
]
}
,
"qe-test-generator"
)
;
// Visual exploration
await
Task
(
"Visual Exploration"
,
{
tour
:
'landmark'
,
focus
:
'responsive-breakpoints'
,
compare
:
'baseline-screenshots'
}
,
"qe-visual-tester"
)
;
Agent Coordination Hints
Memory Namespace
aqe/exploratory/
├── sessions/ - Session notes and findings
├── charters/ - Reusable charter templates
├── bug-clusters/ - Historical bug patterns
└── heuristic-results/ - What heuristics revealed
Fleet Coordination
const
exploratoryFleet
=
await
FleetManager
.
coordinate
(
{
strategy
:
'exploratory-testing'
,
agents
:
[
'qe-flaky-test-hunter'
,
// Pattern recognition
'qe-visual-tester'
,
// Visual anomalies
'qe-quality-analyzer'
// Risk assessment
]
,
topology
:
'mesh'
}
)
;
Pairing Patterns
Pattern
Human Role
Agent Role
Driver-Navigator
Navigate strategy
Execute variations
Strong-Style
Dictate actions
Record findings
Ping-Pong
Observe one area
Explore another